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How to write a great "Why XYZ College" essay

Article by Ben Feuer, Photo by Lillith

If there is one type of essay every college hopeful moans and groans about — it’s their Common App personal statement. But the “why school” essays run a close second. Everyone struggles with them. Shawna, bright and funny with a GPA to die for, was aces when it came to writing about her background as a half-Filipina woman trying to find her way in a prejudiced society. But once it came time for her to do school research, she stalled out. It feels like hitting a single, not a home run, she told me. But I disagree --

ANYBODY can hit a home run with a “why school” essay — if she’s willing to put in the work.

Writing a great school-specific essay requires a very different set of skills than writing a great personal statement, but both types of essay are important. You should always take them when you have an option, AND you should always write at or near the maximum word-count for Why School essays (unlike other types of essay, where it isn’t as important). Here are some commonly asked questions about this essay type --

Why are schools so concerned with research?

Don’t they already know what is great about their school? Of course they do (although it never hurts to hear it again). They’re asking because of something called demonstrated interest. Demonstrated interest is a fancy way of saying, how much do you really want to go to OUR school? Did you pick us just because we’ve got a good ranking, or do you actually know something about how we work? Have you visited campus? Have you spoken to alumni? Are you familiar with the enviroment? Class size? Cultural reputation, IE, what the students behave like and what they value? Schools like DI. DI correllates to yield, and yield boosts rankings — and everybody likes high rankings.
OK, fine. What am I even supposed to talk about?

Start by creating a ‘headline’ for each of your target schools. ALL of them, not just your favorite. Summarize, in 1 or 2 sentences, what you think the unique fit is between yourself and the school. Treat these sentences as a hypothesis you need to prove.

Remember that your research will be more effective if you do early research into ALL your schools at once, or at least all the ones that have Why School essays. That way, you’ll have a basis for comparison (and a good school research point should ALWAYS be comparing one school to another, albeit not by name).

School research can be divided into three main categories.

DEEP WEB RESEARCH. This should be the heart of your essay, as well as the meat and potatoes. Reading the school’s website is not a bad start, as it will give you a basic overview of what’s on offer. Keep an eye peeled for course listings, recent news events, maps and descriptions of important campus buildings, student run organizations, and other key terms. Then take those terms and plug them right into Google, Youtube and Linkedin! Yes, it’s that easy. After reading 10-15 links on the things that interest you, you’ll understand it almost as well as someone at the school! Statistical websites like College Factual are tremendously helpful here as well, as are blogs from current and former students, Vlogs, Instagram feeds – anything and everything is fair game. Cite a wide range of sources in your essay to show the depth of your research.

TALK TO CURRENT/FORMER STUDENTS AND PROFS. Anyone more than 10 years out from graduation is not likely to be helpful, but more recent grads, particularly folks with similar backgrounds to you, are tremendous sources of information. But do your web research first, that way, you’ll be able to ask more specific questions. Remember, you’re trying to get interesting observations you can paraphrase, so if they’re speaking generally (or you’re not taking good notes) the whole thing will be a waste. Don’t ask “How did you like the school?” Ask “You took Professor Trelawney’s Divination II, right? How did you like the reading material for that class, did you find it useful in your overall understanding of the degree?” Focused questions result in focused answers. Better!

DO A CAMPUS TOUR. Again, be prepared to take notes and take names. If you can’t get there in person, do a virtual tour. Note the date of your tour in your essay, sometimes that information comes in handy!

How many points should I be discussing?

A common bad strategy for this type of essay is overstuffing it with poorly supported points — referencing three classes in a row without explaining why any of them are necessary (or particularly strong at your chosen school), name dropping professors without explaining how their book on Cannibal Theory changed your life, using alumni quotes but providing no context as to their relevance.

Instead, make a few well chosen points and back them up. What are the two or three things you, personally, MOST need from a college? This, by the way, is ALSO the reason nobody can do this work for you. Ultimately, you’re the one who really knows your priorities and the things you most need in order to grow.
I wrote it, but I don’t like what I wrote. It feels general and vague.

Every early draft of a why school essay shares the same pernicious flaw — blanket statements made without evidence (to back them up) or context (to explain why they belong in the essay). So how do we fix these statements? Watch the following bland comment transform into a great point — through action.

U.Chicago’s campus is very diverse. Awful. A blanket statement with nothing to back it up — not a shred of research or introspection.

When John Smith ’13 told me about U.Chicago’s diverse campus environment, I was very excited. So-so — at least you spoke to (and quoted) an alumni. But not much effort shown, nor much reflection on your own goals and needs.

When John Smith ’13 told me about U.Chicago’s diverse campus environment, I was very excited — my four years at Ball State proved to me that I thrive when I am learning from my peers as much as my professors. Above average — not great. Action taken, related it back to your own experience. This is what I’d consider “bare minimum” for making a solid point as to why you and a school are a good fit.

When my best friend John Smith ‘20 told me about U.Chicago’s diverse campus environment (ranked 23rd in the nation by College Factual for its strong geographic and ethnic balance), I was excited, but skeptical — diversity can mean different things to different people. So I went to see for myself, visiting on September 9th, 2017. The info session was intimate — more so than any other I have attended — with a relatively select group of students offered full campus access. Bob Davis ’12, my tour leader, was extraordinarily patient, walking me through U.Chicago’s outstanding array of clubs and societies, including the MSAC Committee. U.Chicago is one of the only schools I am considering that even offers a student-led Diversity Committee, much less one that advises faculty and university management on key outreach issues. Outstanding. The candidate walks us through his thought process — smoothly incorporating his actions taken (alumni interviews, campus visit, talked to tour guide for 1/2 hour) into a larger journey of how he came to fall in love with Booth. We believe him.

Don’t fake it.

I know, I know — you’re thinking, nah, that sounds too hard, or too expensive — I don’t want to Google-stalk a professor, or haunt an internet forum, or network on LinkedIn to meet alums from a school — I’m busy! (as 1000 tiny violins play) Campus visits, I’ll just make it up. Ok, big boy, you do that. And you might fool your parents, or even a peer reviewer or two. But you won’t fool the experts, who have to read literally THOUSANDS of these things. They know their own programs, and if you think you can generalize your way around campus — sorry, no.

You can’t have fit without a goal.

Your school may ask you “why us” but may not ask specifically about your goals. Use one or two sentences to tell them about your goals for college. Why? Because if you don’t, how are you going to show that you are a good fit on campus? People with dreams need help making their dreams come true. Your goal and your past experience dictate what you need from the school.

But be as specific as you can when it comes to your needs. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, you want to master leadership in college. OK. What aspect of leadership are you looking to develop? Small teams? Big teams? Collaborating remotely? Speaking in front of groups? Setting long term visionary goals? Achieving short term objectives? By better defining your growth areas, you can focus more precisely on what the school has to offer you. The same thing applies to every discipline you wish to develop — precise thinking and precise language will set you apart.

The end -- and the beginning.

That's it -- everything you know to write a great "why school essay. It's not complicated -- but it's also not easy. It takes time, and thought, to get it right. Still, as with everything in this process, practice makes perfect -- so get to work on those drafts!

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